


The Other Side of the Coin

by RiriYuki



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon, F/F, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-16
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-04 15:00:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4142121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiriYuki/pseuds/RiriYuki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Anderson never blew his Spectre chances and became the First Human Spectre?  Shepard never got over Akuze and was thrown into C-Sec?  Nihilus was training Garrus to become a Spectre instead.  </p>
<p>Shepard and Garrus have swapped roles in this universe.  He's the big shot making all the moves while she is the one chasing after him.  Is anyone ready to make the sacrifices of the Shepard we know and love?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Helping A Cause

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BitterRenegade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterRenegade/gifts).



> Bioware owns everything.  
> The OCs in this belong to BitterRenegade and myself.

Helion Prime is a turian planet that is currently the planet of interest for the entire Citadel, thanks to Galactic News Channel.  A few hours ago an unidentified ship that the news is already speculating to belong to a xenophobic group attacked the planet.  One of the survivors who escaped in the first wave managed to capture a short vid of it—and it has spread like wildfire.  So much so, that three C-Sec humans are spending their day off in the Embassy Bar discussing it.

“Think they'll quiz us on this,” the brunette female asks after taking a bite of her reheated dinner.

She is Ashley Williams, a human who joined the Alliance before claiming a spot in the Special Response Division. This department specializes with hostages, bombs, and heavily armed criminals; they are the front line of interior defense if the Citadel were to ever be attacked.

Ashley ranked number one in her class when it came to arming and deactivating bombs; so much so that her instructor gave her a referral. Called her a 'must-have' and 'stupid to pass up'.  Due to her family lineage, Ashley took the chance to raise the bar.

The male at the other end looks at her with his store-bought sandwich still in his mouth. “Come on Ash, you're not supposed to think about work on your day off. Right, Shep?” He lightly elbows the redhead sitting between the both of them.

Kaidan Alenko is from the enforcement division. Unlike Ashley, he chose his department. During his shift, he patrols the Citadel and takes care of the petty things like solving disputes and minor infractions.  It’s joked that he does the ‘grunt’ work, but it’s the most busy department.

Before joining C-Sec, he was a Staff Lieutenant for the Alliance. What made him switch careers? Ambassador Udina. There are not too many biotics who signed up and according to his Jump Zero reports, he is an excellent solider.

“Kaidan!” the woman shrieks as she watches in horror as her hot pastrami sandwich goes splat on the ground. Ashley and Kaidan start to laugh but the ginger looks ready to cry. “That was Grade-A beef! Imported from my favorite place on Earth!! Do you _know_ how much it cost to get it here? I outta...” Stormy grey eyes narrows at the male and her hands twitches, sobering the male's laughter long enough for him to utter a quick apology.

This woman is the famous Sabrina Shepard.

Everyone in the Alliance and C-Sec knows her as the Survivor of Akuze. For a while, she dropped off the radar but Ambassador Udina found her somehow. Being a legend and Earth-born, he wanted her to become the face of mankind as a species. During the academy, she excelled even if she didn't try. It's no surprise to anyone that she was among the few humans who got to join the investigation division.

As its name says, she gathers evidence and solves crimes.

It's _not_ okay...you owe me lunch!” she angrily sighed as she cradled her energy drink, shielding it from Kaidan’s elbows.

“What about I buy you dinner?” Kaidan offers.  Both women look at him with a dead-pan expression, and the biotic male quickly backtracks hi offer.  “I-I didn't mean like...lunch is over almost. So we could have dinner. Or lun...inner?”

“Luninner? What the hell is that?” Ashley pipes in, now taking her last bite of food. She tries not to laugh at Shepard's obvious interest at her empty container. “Sorry Skipper, I'd share but I finished it.”

Kaidan turns his attention to his own sandwich. “Like 'brunch' but for dinner and lunch. I don't know. I was trying to be nice!”

“Uh huh.  Do yourself a favor and give you your crush on the Commander.  It’s embarrassing to watch you fail so badly.”

“I wasn't trying to ask her out! I was trying to apologize.”

“Just saying it so everyone knows, if Kaidan wrecks this friendship dynamic I’m going to beat him with a turian.”

“Alright, you two.” Sabrina laughs and pushes the two of them away from one another. “I don't want to get between your lovers-spat but I might hurl if you keep at it. Thanks Kaidan, but nothing can replace my sandwich.”

The group resumes their topic to light things.  Ashley continues her story about an bomb threat that turned out to be some weirdo who just wanted attention.  Somehow, the topic came back around to Shepard—specifically, the recent case that is made her late for their lunch date and why she has to leave early.

“Executor Pallin wants me to collect information on Spectre Anderson. But...” The ginger folds her legs and cradles her drink in her hand. “There's so much red tape, I'd think I was facing a bull in the ring. My contacts keep running into dead ends.”

“By contacts, do you mean _Nihilus_?” Kaidan says smugly, earning a pink-faced Shepard.

Ashley tunes into the conversation, the brunette slightly out of the loop since her attention was on the television. “I heard Nihilus' name.”

“No!” Sabrina jumps in quickly, hissing at Kaidan. “I didn't mean him. I meant my other contacts.”

“So you didn't think to ask your Spectre friend about another Spectre?” Kaidan asks.

“Of course I did...but he's on a mission. Top secret.”

“When did we start calling her crush a 'friend'?” Ashley jumps in, ignoring Sabrina's glare. “Or does Alenko finally have a chance?”

Now Kaidan is on Shepard’s side as they put tell Ashley to shut up and the woman just laughs.

Their nice atmosphere is broken when Sabrina hears a soft ringing in her ear and she glances at her visor, seeing the caller ID. “Sabrina Shepard speaking,” she greets the caller as she excuses herself from her friend’s side.  The Embassy Bar is not a place for privacy but Shepard steps close to the rails, trying to get whatever she can take.

Her phone call is brief but by the time she’s saying her farewells, there is a smile on her face.  “I owe you one. I'll call you in a few minutes.” She lowers her right arm and her omni-tool vanishes.

Her friends sees the smile on her face and feel compel to ask. “What was that?”

Sabrina grins as she grabs her can drink and tosses it in the garbage, sparing a longing glance at her lunch on the floor. “An informant. I have some information on Anderson, _finally_! They want me to head somewhere but first I'm going to grab some bars. Can't investigate on an empty stomach. It seems someone here knows something about the guy.”

Kaidan looks at his omni-tool. “When does Pallin want you to report you?”

Shepard picks up what she can of her sandwich using the aluminum she had it in to toss it away, not wanting to leave a mess behind. “Fourteen-hundred.”

Ashley glances at her device also. “You have to report in less than five minutes. Are you sure you want that bar?”

 _Huh?_ Now she looks at the time on her visor and mutters a profanity. Forgetting to bid her friends goodbye, Sabrina bolts it to the Citadel Tower.

 

 

“Executor Pallin!” Sabrina tries not to gasp the turian's name out in a desperate attempt for oxygen.

From the Embassy Bar, the C-Sec officer ran all the way over to the Citadel Tower.  Jumping over any obstacle and side stepping a couple of pedestrians, Shepard makes it to the top of the steps where her boss stood waiting.  The human curses herself as she is struggling not to swallow air and to remain composed but even her boss, a man of excellent self-control, flares his nostrils when she arrives.

She knows she’s in for shit.  Kiss any vacation she planned for the next six month and expect paper work for a year.

 

“Shepard,” Pallin greets her with narrowed eyes and a no-bullshit kind of tone that makes Shepard’s back straighten even more. “Report.”

He doesn't comment on her sloppy appearance: hair tossed about, unpinned, lack of air, or bother demanding whatever half-cooked excuse the human could make up on the run over. A silver lining in all of this. Shepard decides to push her luck and swallows one gulp of air before she speaks.

“Nothing right now, sir,” she reports as she starts tying her hair up into the military-bun that follows with regulations. “But I have one last lea--”

“Don't bother,” he interrupts her. “I will tell the Council that the investigation is closed and there is nothing to rep--”

“Hold a damn minute!” Ignoring the mild look of surprise on the turian's face, she continues. “I only recently received this tip. You can't close the case until there are still questions.  I’m asking only for half an hour to close the case myself.”

Pallin folds his arms over his chest and _glares_ at the human.  Any lesser creature might actually cave in to such a tactic but not the famous Shepard—even _returning_ the look.  “Do you think the Council has time to waste? Your investigation is _over_ , Shepard. Enjoy the rest of your day off.”

Shepard doesn’t even bother arguing because Pallin walks away.  In another language, other than her native tongue, she curses out the turian under her breathe.  Unfortunately, any language she knows is deciphered with the translators everyone has.  She might have said some words about him being a beak-head and pecking…bird jokes, honestly.  When she finally decides to walk away, she turns around only to catch two turians staring at her weirdly.

Her cheeks begin to darken.

It’s a couple; one male and one female.  The male is wearing a visor over his left eye and wearing black and blue armor. The female is wearing white and black armor with neon green highlights; unique and eye pleasing. Shepard rules the two as lost honeymooners, despite the fact that the two do not share the same face paint.  The ginger is ready to continue on her way when something nags at her brain, regarding the male’s face paint.  It’s familiar, which Shepard quickly tries to remember where she had seen it before. 

Not an entirely unpleasant feeling when she looks at the mark, but certainly not one of joy.  It’s not just the face paint but the turian’s face…it looks familiar. 

Her attention is broken when the male moves his hands off her shoulder, and she takes a step back. For some reason, she hadn’t even noticed _when_ he had put his hands on her in the first place.

Oddly, the scenario jogs her memory.

“Officer Vakarian?” She calls out dumbfound.

The turian is a senior officer of C-Sec that is a hard-ass for the rules. She thought he had retired to Palaven but maybe she was wrong? When _was_ the last time she had the turian chasing her down? Probably back in her academy. He did not like her quick tongue nor she for his love of the handbook.

Her discomfort must show because she hears the turian chuckle.  “I think you're mistaking me for my father.  I’m Spectre Vakarian.” His tone is light and she is grateful for the mix-up. This man's father was the picture definition of 'bad day'.

“Apologies. I'm C-Sec Officer Sabrina Shepard...did you say 'Spectre'?  His son became a Spectre?”

The female rolls her eyes and pushes Vakarian forward. “We don't have time for this. The Council is waiting for us and I'm not paid to stand around.”

“Wait,” Sabrina extends her arm to stop the turians from passing her. “I was the officer in charge of the C-Sec investigation into Anderson. I also knew your father during the short time we both worked in C-Sec. I didn't mean to stare.”

His voice is rich when he chuckles at her for the second time. “That explains why you looked so happy to see my father,” he teased and Sabrina’s face makes a disgusted look before she can stop herself.  Worry crosses her face and his chuckle turns into a light laugh as he shakes his head.  “We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Garrus Vakarian and this is Anya Villornus.” Both women barely acknowledge one another. Villornus seems busy talking to someone in her ear piece anyways.

“Is there anything you can tell me?”

“Nothing I'm sure you don't know already. With all the red tape that stopped me, I could tie the entire Citadel for Christmas.” Her joke goes over his head and she decides to cut the humor. “I am really sorry I couldn't be help to you.”

“You did your best. Leave the rest to me.” Vakarian's mandibles flutter in an attempt to smile and Sabrina returns the gesture. Villornus breaks up the moment and informs the Spectre that the Council is waiting for them. Sabrina leaves first, bidding the turians good luck before heading back to her friends.

_Bleep. Bleep. Bleep._

Shepard only makes it to Avina when she hears a soft ringing in her ears but it’s different from earlier ringing—it’s a message.  Extending her right arm, her omni-tool appears once more and she pulls up the message.  It’s from her contact, asking if she was checking out the lead as she didn’t keep her promise to call back.  The ginger looks back at the tower and her mind thinks about the Council and Spectre Vakarian.

 _What would Nihlus do_? She asks herself as she searched the structure for any sign or hint that might supply her with an answer.  The answer came to her in a memory.  “’But that’s what makes me a force to reckon with’, right?” 

_I’m going to check it out now. Tell the Shadow Broker I’ll give him the usual payment.  Thanks._

After hitting send, Shepard heads to the Wards with a pep in her step and something to prove to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been edited on 4/6/17.  
> I am going to start working on this story. Sorry about being lengthy, but I wanted to show how different Kadien and Ashley are from the original storyline. Which isn't much.


	2. Joining A Cause

Everyone in C-Sec wants nothing to do with the Shadow Broker, stating the individual needs to be taken down because they think they work outside the law.  Call it Old-Fashion turian thinking, because since humans have been accepted into the divisions more cases have been solved. 

Why?

Because many humans has a Shadow Broker informant in their contact list and makes back-room deals for information to take criminals down.  The great Commander Shepard is no different.  It just so happen that Barla Von is her neighbor so the deals are easier to conduct.

Usually, their relationship is purely based on the size of the C-Sec officer’s wallet but when Shepard tries to pay the volus for the tip about Doctor Michel, he denies it.  As per the Shadow Broker, this information is free.  Highly unusual but Shepard doesn’t question it, the Shadow Broker is not the sort to give out wrong information.

Stepping into the Med Clinic, Sabrina takes one step inside and instantly drops to the floor like a bag of bricks.  It seems perhaps this information isn’t as exclusive as she hoped?  Just beyond the cover she’s hiding behind is a group of thugs, circling around a doctor who she assumes is Michel.  Crawling to the edge gives her some clips of their conversation, the phrases ‘Shepard’ and ‘she can’t know about this’ are said together.

Lovely when a case just shuts itself.

 _Anderson isn’t as clever as he thinks if he’s getting idiots to do his grunt work_ , she tells herself mentally as she draws her pistol and makes sure thermal is cool.  Just as she is trying to wait out for one of the members to strike the final nail in their coffin— _swoosh_ , the med doors open and everyone stares at the entrance.

“Who the hell are you?” one of the thug screams.

Shepard recognizes Spectre Vakarian in a second and in the next one, she leaps out from cover.  Unfortunately, the thugs are already trigger happy and start firing—but not before Shepard gets one blast and injures the thug holding the doctor hostage.

The next couple of minutes are a laser show, lasers flying back and forth from Vakarian’s party and the thugs.  Sabrina takes it upon herself to secure her witness, braving the warzone and going in for close combat.  No surprise that these thugs stood no match against her hand-to-hand combat though the smarter, probably stronger, people took cover from the lasers.  Once she grabs the doctor’s arm, she throws the woman behind the closest wall and shields her with her own body.  Shortly after, someone shoots the gas tank and fills the room with smoke and the stench of burnt flesh.

“Are you okay?” Vakarian’s voice rang through the hazard zone.

“Y-yes,” Dr. Michel answers in her thick accent.

 _I will be after they tell me who’s paying for these damages_ , Shepard thinks to herself as she tries to blow the smoke out of her face while easing away from the doctor.

Shepard stares in awe at the cover she hid behind, a miracle it held up with that many bullet holes and the explosion.  Half the room is torched with four crisp corpses for decoration.  It will take the Ward a full week to replace everything destroyed but it’s not bad.  Hell, it’s certainly not the worst damage Shepard has seen.

“Not bad,” a froggy voice said as Shepard is pulling Dr. Michel over to the clean side of the room to sit her down.

In a blink of an eye, Shepard glares at the voice and then stomps over to Vakrian just as he approaches the doctor.  “What were you thinking?” she huffs just as she steps up to his chest and sends him a nasty glare.  Doesn’t matter that he easily towers her or that his team outnumbers her by three to one—his team even recruited a korgan.  “That tank could have taken the both of us out, and _then_ where would this case be?  In the can, that’s where!”

Vakarian throws his hands up in defense, surprise is written across his face at the small human’s hostile attitude but the krogan just scoffs.  “Can’t avoid you, can I?”

She turns her gaze onto the scarred krogan and points a finger at him.  “We’re not even _talking_ until you pay me for the gun you broke!”

“Not happening,” he said and folded his arms.

Wrong answer.

“Don’t make me sell your testicles to get my money.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

“Fuck you, Wrex!”

“I don’t know what’s worse,” Vollornus speaks up as she puts her assault rifle away, “a more-scars-than-hide krogan or a temperamental human.”

“Everyone, calm down!” Vakarian shouts and both Shepard and Wrex growl, turning away to opposite corners.

Shepard walks over to the doctor and gently grasps her shoulder, now able to worry over the woman.  Physically, the woman is unharmed though she is thoroughly shaken up—but that’s anyone after almost dying.  Since working in C-Sec, Shepard personally reports to one specific doctor who specializes in trauma patients—one stipulation for getting into C-Sec.  So she decides now might be a great time to confirm the suspect is who she thinks she is.

“Dr. Michel?”  The woman nods her head and Sabrina gives her a warm smile.  Gently, she lifts the woman’s chin to look into her eyes. “Are you okay?  Did they do anything to you?” 

It was her academy training that made her intense regarding the safety of innocents, or important suspects.  Looking into someone’s eyes is meant to be a calming feature though Shepard hates the intimacy—but she doesn’t have to keep it up long because the doctor calms down enough to answer questions.

With a shake of her head, Dr. Michel speaks.  “I’m okay, thanks to you.  All of you.”

“That’s a relief,” Vakarian answers back.  “Do you know why they were threatening you?”

Dr. Michel looked at Vakarian when he spoke but when he asked the question, she turns back to Shepard and starts to wring her hands together.  “Those men worked for Fist.  They wanted to shut me up, to keep me from telling Shepard about the quarian.”

“The one I told you about,” Wrex supplied quite snippily and Shepard growled reflexively.  “What?”

Ignoring him, Shepard seems pleased with the discovery.  “They were willing to kill, this quarian must be the one thing needed to nail Anderson.  She can either clear his name or confirm everything you thought.  I-I’m sure!  I’m…even willing to bet Wrex’s next-born child!”  Shepard smiles when Wrex mumbles something unintelligent under his breathe.

“Time to go see Fist then.  Good work, Shepard. Thanks for your help.”  Vakarian starts to leave with his team mates but Sabrina steps forward and reaches out to them.

“Wait a minute.”  Everyone turns to look at her and she straightens her back.  “I understand this is your call, but stopping Anderson is something I want to help with.  Anderson is supposed to be setting an example of what humans are capable of and if he is guilty, I want to help take him down.”

Villornus starts to protect at the idea but Vakarian stops her by raising his hand. The female’s mandibles shut tight as Vakarian takes a step towards Shepard. “Why would a human want to help take down one of their own?”

“A xenophobe is a xenophobe, whether or not we share a species doesn’t change the fact.  I do not condone Anderson’s actions nor will I let him set a bad example for all humans.  Nihlus went out of his way to make sure humans have a chance and I won’t let Anderson piss that away.  If I help take him down, it might at least show the council that some of us are good.”  The name had slipped out of her mouth without knowing so when Vakarian’s face opens wide, a look she knows to be surprise, she falters.  “What?”

“You knew Nihlus?”

Shepard looks more confuse for a second before she realizes what she did and decides to come clean, with a nod of her head.  “Nihlus Kryik, right?  I met him when I first joined C-Sec.  He vouched for me and helped me through the academy…though I may be giving him too much credit, but I respect Nihlus very much.  So if there’s anyways I can help weed out the bad guys, so the good guys like Nihlus don’t get a bad rep…well…I want in!”  As she spoke, she didn’t let the side glances between both turians let her stumble.

Turians giving her a hard time is an every-day thing.  But it’s hard for Shepard to keep her voice steady, especially with the idea that her speech might have only thrown her foot in her mouth.  What if they are disgusted by Shepard’s affections towards another turian?  Some turians, like Saren, really dislike humans though are not ultimately bad people…but—!

“Nice to see a human finally doing the right thing,” said Villornus—to Sabrina’s surprise. 

Vakarian agrees and extends a talon out to the human.  “Welcome aboard, Shepard.”


	3. The First Human Spectre

Vakarian, Villornus, Wrex, and Tali head back to the ship. The quarian they rescued, named Tali’Zorah nar Rayya, is now a member of the crew, following the brave turian captain due to her own pursuit of the Geth. Villornus takes a shining to the woman, admiring her spunky attitude while Wrex has no comment on the quarian.

This band of ‘crew’ is odd, to Shepard at least, but she finds it also comforting.

The Council revoked Anderson’s Spectre status, blaming him for the crime on Helios Prime and the death of fellow Spectre, Nihlus. The reason why Tali became Anderson’s number one priority is that she held a chip that she risked her life to secure from a Geth. On it; all the evidence they’d need to blame Anderson and a surprise twist. Matriarch Benezia, a powerful asari biotic, is aligned with the traitorous human. For what reason, is unclear even to the Asari ambassador but the Council decides that it’s time to take action.

To track these two criminals down, the Council decides to make Vakarian a Spectre. He is given access to their resources and control over the SSV Normandy, a deep scout frigate prototype with possibly the best stealth system ever seen to date. Only unexpected, yet pleasant, surprise is the ship’s creator or rather, creators. The Turian Hierarchy and the Alliance co-developed this ship, with the Citadel Council sponsorship; a sign of peace after their war. Though made by humans and turians, The Council are the dictators of who gets the ship. With Anderson now on the run, they decide that the proto-type can fall into Vakarian’s hand.

“-ina! Hey, earth to Sabrina in there. Helloo?”

The red-head jerks her head behind her, slightly thrown off by the voices shouting out to her. Ashley and Kaidan are rushing to catch up to her while Vakarian and his team are up ahead. “Go on ahead,” Shepard says to the team as she waits for her two friends. Villornus, Vakarian, and Wrex don’t hesitate to continue walking but Shepard has to pat the quarian’s shoulder. “I’ll be right behind you.” Tali takes the comfort in her words and heads into the elevators with the rest of the team; just as Ashley and Kaidan catches up.

“Leaving without saying goodbye?” Kaidan breathes out in a puff of air. “Heard you’re taking vacation leave…is it temporary?”

Shepard rolls her eyes, clearing the air before Ashley can jump in. “The turians are going to stop Anderson so I’m coming with. Udina officially placed me on the ship; he claims for human interest. But I think he just wants me to bring home another trophy for mankind.”

“When will he stop pushing you?” Ashley interrupts, fuming. “What does he expect you to do? Single handedly take town a Spectre?” Kaidan shares her feelings because he gives her a heavy pat on the back.

What neither of them notice is the way Shepard looks down at her wrist, staring at her omni-tool. Since the moment she heard that Anderson used his status to shoot Nihlus in the back, Shepard swore to see this to the end and Vakarian allowed her. When Uldina approached her, requesting that she’d go it was a simple choice. What wasn’t simple was her next decision. One human Spectre was going to be gone…and Uldina wanted another to take his place.

Specifically, her.

She asked for time to think it over and he agreed but he gave her until they returned, where he hoped Vakarian would vouch for her if she did a superb job. There were other political talks, all circling around Shepard going up in the world but she didn’t care for any of that. But she wasn’t sure who to speak to about this. Was she even going to take it? And would the Council want another human Spectre? And—

Warm arms break Shepard’s train of thought and she reflexively wrap her arms around the person, discovering it to be Ashley. “I’ll miss you Skipper,” Ashley says. “Be careful with those aliens. Make sure you send me a vid every week. I’ll write back as much as I can. Need anything? Just say it!”

“The point is, let us know how you’re doing.” Kaidan steps up, throwing his arms into the mix as well—turning this goodbye into a group hug. “We wouldn’t want Ash to believe that turians keep their humans captive in tiny cramped cages or maybe feed them to their pets.” Ashley couldn’t see Kaidan’s grin but Shepard could and she glares back at him. “Or worse,” Kaidan continues. “Maybe they’ll starve her for weeks, making her too weak to fight back and _then_ they—ow, Commander!” Kaidan hollers in pain when Shepard pinches him under his arm.

Shepard breaks up the hug, so she and Ash could properly give the man a dirty glare. “If I get so much as one message about you picking on Ash, no krogan could hold me back from giving you a firm boot up your ass. Are we clear?”

Both Ash and Kaidan salute her, clicking their heels together. “Yes M’am!” they say in union, bringing a smile to Shepard’s face.

“Just…be safe. I don’t want to see you hurt,” Ashley speaks sincerely.

“I promise to write to the both of you. We’ll take down Anderson, pick up some take out, and be back doing regular desk work before Pallin can miss me!” Her joke brings a smile to both of their faces and they all share their final goodbyes.

 

* * *

 

_Bleep. Bleep. Bleep._

_For the love of…_ Shepard steps into the elevator, answering her omni-tool once the doors are shut for the sake of privacy. “Shepard speaking.”

_We finally speak_ , speaks a masculine voice. _I’ve been waiting a long time to have a word with you. I should have known only another human could have discovered my plan. Thanks to you, the Council stripped me of my Spectre status._

“Anderson?” Shepard quickly opens another program on her wrist, typing as fast as she could with her right hand. A countdown appears on her screen, giving her a thirty second span to hack between however many channels the man would be using. It would work just as long as she could keep him talking.

_I wish we didn’t have to have our talk under these circumstances. Benjamin told me to watch over you and I’m a man of my word, Sabrina. When this is all over, when you learn the truth and realize the good I’m doing…I’ll buy you a drink._

“Benjamin…do you mean…Captain Benjamin Harper?” Shepard back-steps into the wall, rubbing her gloved-hand through her hand rather painfully. “Hello?” She brings her wrist up to her face and sees that the call has ended with thirteen seconds left. _Damn it!_ Shepard slams her fist against the wall and covers her eyes, fighting her headache and her tears.

When the doors open, Vakarian is standing on the other side with a surprised face. Shepard glances at him for a second before she quickly rubs the droplets off her lashes. Both her arms fall to her side as she tries to side-step the captain as fast as possible but she isn’t fast enough. A three-fingered hand catches her upper arm and stops her.

“What happened?”

The words ‘it’s nothing’ are sitting at the tip of her tongue. Nothing would bring her more satisfaction than brushing the commanding officer. “Anderson…he just called me.”

“Did you track him?” His claws dig in just barely so.

“Couldn’t. The most I know is that he’s on the Citadel or he’s connected to me through a computer on here. I didn’t have time to check the waves. He probably set up a channel from wherever he is, connecting here…he’s too smart. I don’t know what he’s thinking but I will…very soon.” The ending of her words are whispered, a promise to herself.

Vakarian cocks his head a little, staring at her. Why? Shepard doesn’t ask. He removes his hand and she is thankful for the circulation to resume. “Why would he call you?”

“No clue,” she lies bitterly as she makes a point to rub her arm. It does the job because he drops the subject, almost looking guilty. “Anderson is a criminal. We were both Alliance members, and now I’m hunting him down. Maybe he’s scared—and he should be.” The man must have known the Captain during his time in the Alliance but that only brought more questions. How well did the two know each other? Was Captain Harper like Anderson? Or did the two have a falling out?

“Shepard, walk with me.”

“Huh?”

Shepard looks confuse but she doesn’t question him. Together, the two re-enter the elevator and the door closes.

 

* * *

 

“We could’ve gotten more off if you had whipped out your gun,” Shepard laughs as she is fiddling with her brand new omni-tool, now with updated apps. The first thing she did was sending out messages to Ashley, Kaidan, her bosses, a few fellow C-Sec officers, and her contacts. The volus behind the counter promised this to be the latest in omni-tool technology.

Vakarian chuckles as he play with his visors, enjoying the _free_ downloads. “C-Sec and Spectre discount not enough for you, Shepard? And the threats of reporting him got me these new songs. I think we did pretty well.”

“I’m just saying—we could have done better.” Shepard closes her tool, now looking up to the turian with a grin on her face. “I mean, look at you. A tall turian Spectre, son of the most tight-ass C-Sec officer—no disrespect,” she quickly throws in. “A little help on your part and we could’ve gotten that new omni-tool game for free. Or at least scared him straight for a week.”

“None taken,” he replies with his mandibles flared up in a grin. “But I think you scared him just enough. If I were a criminal and you were my officer, you’d scare me straight for a month!”

“Me?” Shepard barks out a laugh as she shakes her head. “If humans in skimpy clothes scares you, then I wish I had more criminals like you!”

The two continue stabbing jabs as they head back to the ship.

Shepard reveals that C-Sec has babied her as she is Uldina’s favorite. Her clothes are custom made light armor for a sentinel; made by biotic asaris to enhance her abilities and to her measurements. Vakarian reveals that his current career path is not favored by his father, who wanted the turian to follow in his footsteps. Both of them agree that his father is a pain in the ass but Shepard counts her blessings that she doesn’t have to share a dinner table with the man.

When they step out of the elevator, they are both taken by surprise! The doors open and in steps a man dressed in a mechanic uniform with a cap over his head. Shepard gives him a quick glance, allowing Vakarian to get a head start. When she tries to step out of the elevator, the mechanic suddenly slides a hand over her mouth and pulls her back in. If she didn’t elbow the other, Vakarian would have never heard her scream for help but there was no way either of them could do a thing before the doors closed.

“Shepard!” Vakarian shouts as he reaches his hand out.

“Vakarian!” Shepard cries out just as the elevator starts to descend.

It takes her a few seconds but she successfully lands another blow on the man, freeing herself only to run to the other side of the elevator. Her hand flies to the gun cradling on her thigh and she points it at the man, stormy grey eyes focused.

“Did you get that pistol from Benji?” the man laughs as he removes his hand.

“Anderson!” Shepard growls, throwing her other hand on the handle of the gun to keep her arm steady. “You are under arrest for the murder—“

He interrupts her. “Put your gun down. The glass is laser-proof. Your shot will just bounce around until it hits something. I wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”

Shepard glances around the elevator, realizing the truth in his words. “What do you know?” she barks.

“Benjamin excelled at pistols. No one could beat his record in the academy. Except—“

“—Me.” Shepard lowers her gun, eyes wide. “How did you know that?”

Anderson gives a laugh as he shoves his hat into his pocket. “We were brothers, in every way but blood. He was the father you never had. I know he cared for you. Whenever we spoke, he’d always talk about you. ‘Oh Sabrina just graduated’, ‘she got her first arrest’, ‘she is all grown up’. He talked about the others too. Noel, Ronald, and—“

By now, tears are falling down her face. “Susie.” Shepard backs up against the wall, dropping her gun in favor of hiding her face as she starts to cry. “Ben. Noel. Ronald and Susi—ngh!” Her right palm pulsates painfully and she looks up, to catch Anderson standing in front of her. The gun she dropped is in his palm now, pointed at her. For some reason, the sight is sobering and she finds her calmness in it. “If I don’t kill you, Vakarian will.”

He almost looks confused by her words until he gestures to the gun and waves it around. “I’m not going to shoot you. We are all the other have left to remember Benjamin. I just wanted to see you, to look at your face and share my memories of him with you. Wouldn’t you like that?”

_More than anything_. “You know we could never. Not anymore.” Shepard clenches her teeth as she tries to find the strength to admit the truth. “Nihlus is gone and it’s your fault. You destroyed Helios Prime. You are a xenophobe!”

“I’m not a xenophobe!” he screams at her. “I’m trying to save our race. Can’t you see that?” Anderson looks at her with a mournful expression but she doesn’t change hers. A cold glare with tears streaming down her cheeks. “…No, of course not. You haven’t discovered the truth.” The elevator stops and Shepard looks almost surprised, having forgotten where they were. Anderson shakes his head and turns to the door, gripping her gun in his hand. “When this is over, when we head back to Earth and retire from all this war…lets go see Benjamin together. Okay?”

“Anderson?”

Shouting is heard on the outside of the door but Anderson talks over it. “I didn’t want to upset you, honestly. Maybe I was doubting what has to be done next…but seeing you. It reminds me what I have to protect. At any cost.”

When the door opens, Shepard felt genuinely heart-broken to see Anderson go. So much so that she reaches out to him, ready to beg him not to leave.

“Anderson!” Another voice shouts. “We have you surrounded.”

It’s Spectre Saren and a group of C-Sec officers. Each of them are pointing a gun at the Spectre in question, while Shepard watches in anticipation. She lowers herself to the ground, ready to talk Anderson down but it’s too late. The dark-skinned man steps out of the elevator and slams the door shuts, sending Shepard back up. The young C-Sec officer doesn’t get to see Anderson annihilate her fellow officers, nor outwit Saren. No one would even know how, but later he’d leave the Citadel completely undetected and unarmed as he leaves Shepard’s gun on the dead body of an officer.

On her ride up, Shepard is sitting against the doors with her knees to her chest and arms wrapped around them. Red sand fills her mind and the dull ache in her hand goes ignored. Anderson knows so much about her and her life…but she knew so little. How could she expect to catch him?

Most importantly.

What would she do when she caught him?

“Ben. Guide me,” she silently prays as she ascends to the ship hanger.

 


End file.
